Weapon Use Requirements

The smith next takes you down a corridor and opens a door, smiling nastily.
"Now here, my boy, you have what this is all about. Nice armour is all well and good, but when the cards are down what you want is a good weapon to spill some blood.
Now, weapons are classed like armours, but they also different, you see?"
Inside the room are four great racks of weapons. Just in front are some of the nastiest instruments of destruction you have ever seen. The old man chuckles heartily.

"Weapons are classified just like armours, and it works the same. The repaired stuff is plain crap. Next is the unmarked stuff. You see, people make more weapons than armours so the arsenal can't go around marking all. So's when you see a weapon that hasn't got an Arsenal mark you know its stuff made by apprentices, fit only for the use of peasants what wouldn't know a good blade if it were stuck in their bellies.
Arsenal and Signed weapons got jest about like the armour- got the same seal. They uses the same dyes and all, no use messing about is what I always says.
Problem is you don't get as much variety in material for weapons, cause some of the best stuff you can use to make armour is worth crap for weapons; I been told most just won't hold a decent edge. Mythril works, and it is the best. Some smiths also make lighter or heavier versions of their signed stuff, depends on whether you're a man for speed or strength."

"What about types of weapons?" you ask.

"Ah yes, that's the interesting thing in weapons. There's what we call "fencing" weapons, cause its an old word for shafted weapons. Then you get swords and maces, and finally bows.
Mustn't forget that on each type you get much different stuff, and I do means a lot different and no mistake."

With a curt nod you indicate the rows of long blades.

"That's the warrior's tool, that is. Greatest variety available. You got from cutlasses to longswords to the big boys, katanas and two handed swords. Nasty and dangerous, all sorts of heroes use them. There's the legendary Galand the Gladiator, who went to battle with a katana.
Funny thing, mages take a fancy to them too. Methinks that's cause them lily livered weaklings need a proper weapon to convince 'emselves they're men. Wonder they don't prefer staffs hur hur hur!"

Just in front is a rack with the most evil looking axes you've ever seen

"Them things are the deadliest woundmakers you can get. Sharps on sticks, yep, ye gets some good from that. Spears are kind of weak, the warfork's a peasant tool made good, but the axes are real pain dealers. Most are made to be worn in two hands and the warriors who carry them you just know they be nasty. Reason is, wearin' no shields, if they're alive they be good. Many a warrior with sword and shield went for an axeman and found out that if the other guy could nae defend himself, nae could they attack cause if they tried they'd be killed. And when ye gets these existential doubts boy, you lose yer doubts and yer existence.
'nother thing ye gets to take care with is, them things are haft and blade. Not just blade. Good axeman uses both, an' when he taps yer blade away with the shaft, ye gonna get shafted the next second, trust you me."

Opposite the swords is a set of nasty maces

"What you got there is about as rude and crude as ye can gets with weapons. Get a stick, put a stone on the tip and bash someone on the head with it, that's all a mace is.
I don't like them much, tiring to use, but they do the job, oh yeah they do. People think those're weak cause you don't bleed much but, you see, all the bleedin's inside. Where it does the most hurt. It'll break bones and pulp yer flesh, turn you into mush inside.
Funy thing, the shafts are always well reinforced cause you use'em to parry. It's a rotation trick, with the head almost not moving."

"Have you got any magical weapons here?"

"What? No, sorry boy, none here to show you. Them things are harder to get than hen's eggs, I tell you. But don't go convincing yerself them're the solution to all's wrong in this world, cause them ain't."
Sighing, the old man shook his head, showing his disappointment at the foibles of mankind.
"Look boy, ye should know that some of the best magical weapons was made by mages fer themselves. Them weaklings figured they'd get one up on proper warriors if they marked the cards first an' kept the aces on the sleeves, ye following me? Well they was wrong. At first the warrior may be a little scared when he sees it biting into his own blade or shield, but in no time he knows the weapon may be the best thing in the world but the arm holding it's worth nothing. Then we get a warrior with a brand new magical sword."